Has anybody here ever passed out from a panic attack?

I'm over the "I think I'm having a heart attack" stage of my panic attacks but now I found out that you can pass out from having a panic attack. Is this true? I feel like I am almost there but this is holding me back. I've been having panic attacks while driving (of course) and in public places and I am so afraid of passing out in public or worse passing out while driving.

I have. I have a panic attack disorder. I have been living with it for 15 years. I have to take Klonipin. That is the only thing that has ever worked for me. Do you have trouble with your blood pressure??? Have you been to see a doc?

No, I don't have trouble with my blood pressure. Is this what causes you to pass out? I just know that it is POSSIBLE to pass out from a panic attack. I just wanted to know a little bit more about it so maybe I can talk myself out of it. I just really don't want to pass out while driving. It's such a scary thought. Right now, I want to go to the store but I'm afraid to because it's night and if I'm driving along a deserted road I might pass out and then crash my car and nobody will find me until I'm dead or something. Thanks for your reply.

I've never passed out from a panic attack. I've had them when driving as well and it didn't seem to bother me. I hate to be the one to say this because I've been through the same thing, but if you've never passed out from a panic attack then this is likely 'all in your mind'. Increased adrenaline causes anxiety, and anxiety will cause you to fear things that aren't there (i.e. passing out from a panic attack).

Keep in mind more than 90% of your fears never come true. As a famous philosopher once said, "My life is full of terrible misfortunes...most of which never happened."

If you haven't already, therapy would be very helpful in dealing with this concern. It was for me! And remember, never take counsel from your fears. Disregard them because they're silly and meaningless, and will lead you to nowhere. If you ever have something that is really bothering you, ask yourself 'is this really rational or am I just worrying again?'.

I have done SO MUCH Internet research regarding this exact question, it's ridiculous, lol. Having a panic attack obviously manifests itself with physical symptoms, but medically speaking I haven't found any evidence of case studies that indicate panic disorder causes fainting. I too have PD as well as GAD that I take Klonopin for. But the first panic attack I ever did have was accompanied by fainting.

My personal experience:

(abridged version...)

I'm in college, have a wonderful boyfriend, friends, family, etc.. but I can't seem to shake the feeling that something is wrong with me. I go to my first day of class and they are discussing the human heart, heart disease, etc. I HAD TO GET OUT OF THERE!! I stumbled outside, began having what I now know is a panic attack and passed out on campus. In broad daylight. In front of everyone. After i got over my embarrassment, I went to the nurse who told me to "see someone" (aka a psychiatrist) and to focus on my health.

So i have fainted during a panic attack, but I cant say passing out was caused by panic, because as I mentioned I only felt an attack coming on after seeing some pretty gross biology-type stuff, which could have caused me to faint anyway.

So no, I dont have a definitive answer for you, but at least you know that you TRULY ARE NOT ALONE!!!

Last edited by ms_mod; 10-25-2009 at 07:36 AM.
Reason: Changed b/c to because. As per the posting rules always use whole words in your posts. Ms_Mod

I nearly passed out from one and have found that it was due to my hyperventilating. I did not even realize that I was doing it. The short breaths I was taking were cutting off my oxygen. It really helps to concentrate on deep, slow breathing.

It depends on underlying health conditions. I have MVP and I have passed out and so has my daughter..both of us Dx with vasovagel syncopy,low BP, but thats underlying. I think overall as long as you consciously breathe, you can learn how to correctly breathe when nervouse..its all over the internet, then hopefully you would be fine. Panic attacks are difficult to master, it is. really not an illness, they are a faulty mechanism in how you cope. They stink and i wish everyone, including myself could get a quick fix on this so it did not even exist, unless of course you were being chased by a tiger, then it would make sense. I have lived with this forever basically and it seems to go in clusters of good years, bad year, then good years.It is comfortating for some reason to read about celbrities and other people who panic and how they handle it. I do not think people judge us as bad as they once did anymore. I think like one out four people have anxiety issues these days and one out of three have some sort of mental issue so that evens out the playing field a lot. Harder to be nasty and judgemental at least. Wish you all the best, just take one day at a time, even one minute at a time.And try to watch a lot of funny shows, or read funny articles so you laugh..you cant panic if your busy laughing..prooven.Your body has no idea how to feel two intense emotions at the same time.

I seem to have mastered it for a while. The other day tho I was driving and feeling anxiety for some unknown reason. I was sitting a a stop light and just felt so dizzy like I was about to pass out. Then I remember reading somebody on here said the more they tried to not pass out the more it happened so of course that's I was thinking! Don't pass out. Ugh it was horrible. I was even trying to remember how to breathe but when you're in the middle of a panic it's very difficult to breathe the right way.

It really does suck how the anxiety goes away and then comes back. Just like I said I was fine for a while and then out of nowhere I was feeling it again. I hope I get over this someday but I don't know. I don't know why you can't just get over it. Why does it have to go away and then come back. I would have to say this is one of the worst illnesses probably that isn't like life threatening or life limiting. Like I have OCD too and I would rather have that than panic disorder any day. It can really prevent you from living a normal life and being happy. So I guess it would be in the class of life-limiting illnesses. It sucks.

Like arth77 pointed out, fainting is rare. Fainting can occur in people who have a kind of reverse reaction to a panic attack. In normal people during a panic attack, blood pressure would rise but in rare cases with people, it does the opposite and lowers their blood pressure which would cause them to faint. Those who faint would regain consciousness in seconds and be fine.

Fainting during a panic attack is exactly the opposite of what the body is trying to accomplish. The adrenaline being released is preparing you to either fight or flee from a dangerous situation.

For an example, imagine your in Africa being stalked by a lion. Adrenaline would be released preparing you to either fight or flee. The body does not want you to faint in this situation as you would be eaten. If this situation did actually occur, you would not feel like fainting as you would be focused on the danger of the lion, not on physical symptoms. When we have panic attacks, we focus on the physical symptoms as there is no immediate danger to grab our attention.

Another good thing to look at is how many panic attacks you have had in your life. If your someone who has had many panic attacks and has never fainted, it would be safe to say that your never going to pass out from one.